Archive for December, 2016

In a wacky podcasting experiment, Joel takes his field recorder down to the New Way Bar in Ferndale, Michigan for open mike night. The New Way is a notorious venue for attracting an audience and holding their attention – and it was the coldest night of 2016 – so what you’ll hear on this show is perhaps not a typical night at the club, but a typical night isn’t great either. Hear host Amit Jain’s (abbreviated) opening set and hear how his controversial way of setting the tone is unique in comedy. Joel tries some new jokes, too. Those were OK, but he stumbles badly on the closer he’s done hundreds of times making for an awkward landing. There’s also appearances from Detroit area comics Tanner Oliver, Wes Ward, Paul Pipitone and Adam Hirzel. There’s also before and after interviews with the guys. Hear their approach to such a weird show, what they get out of doing shows like this and Joel’s opinion on getting loose at open mikes versus sticking to the script. Is it compelling podcasting? You be the judge. But it is a real, fly-on-the-wall visit to a show which on this night desperately needed an audience – and now it has one.

Another year, another Star Wars movie – oh wait – that’s never happened until now, with the release of of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Joel, comedian Josh Bowab, and comedienne Ellen Stachowicz (a girl with such nerd cred she’s even written Star Wars fan-fiction) attended an opening night screening and sat down to do an immediate review. If you haven’t seen it, it is spoiler-free for the first 20 minutes or so, just finish listening after you see it. And you should see it, as it’s a very good, WWII-style action movie ala Bridge on The River Kwai. The guys discuss the fan-service cameos, the gritty, more realistic violence and if certain digital effects enhance or detract from the movie. We also hear how the screening was ruined by too much air-conditioning, and how Ellen managed to miss the first few minutes. Plus, hear how this film compares to The Force Awakens, their hopes for the future Star Wars films, and the wild theories about the true identity of Supreme Leader Snoke and if this movie sheds any light on it, and what the hell happened to Darth Vader’s voice?

Joel has been teaching how to be better at stand-up comedy for some time now with his Advanced Comedy Class at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, and he welcomes two former students, Ted Moss and Steve Hansen on to discuss the class, how it has benefited their careers and all things comedy. Joel runs down the topics the class covers and gives tips on writing, performance, business, and other topics. The guys discuss the downsides of comedy contests, how not to get in to a bit, the best place to stand on stage, and why every comedian should run their own show. It’s a funny, informative discussion with good insight for both comedians and comedy fans alike. Also, Joel takes you through his personal Xmas music playlist including some little-known gems and some awful, cringe-inducing selections that he’s not embarrassed to like anyway. Plus, Joel tries to rationalize watching Warcraft, Tickled is a documentary that will make you uncomfortable, and Netflix launches two new series, a return of the Mythbusters on The White Rabbit Project, and the incredible, must-watch, documentary series, Captive.